The Trickster's Child
by Bad Ass Female Fighter
Summary: AU: What if when Loki came through the portal, he didn't go on a rampage and use the Cube as intended. What if he had something more important to think about regardless of what Thanos would do to him. What is this secret he keeps guarded from the rest of the world? Who s he running from? Better than it sounds. Trust me.
1. Brothers' Reunion

_**Author's Note Please Read: This is a 'what if' story, completely AU. When Loki came through the portal, he didn't control Barton or anyone else for very long, he just took the Tesseract and went into hiding. Thus, betraying Thanos by refusing to do as he commanded. But there is more to this betrayal than meets the eye, his greatest secret was more important than his desire for rule the Earth.**_

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"So, Loki is here?" Tony asked with a raise of his eye brow as he stared at the one story house that was just outside of civilization in the woods. It has been a month since the God of Mischief came out of the portal and stole the Tesseract from Nick Fury, and they finally got a hit on the Trickster who has been in hiding for that time period.

"For the third time, Stark, yes." Clint said over the com link that connected the quinjet to the van Tony, Steve and Thor were staking out in, hiding just out of sight from the house.

"This doesn't seem like his style though, wouldn't he be in some high end building trying to feel mightier than everyone?" Tony asked Thor, the Thunder God and older brother of the God of Mischief.

"Loki always had some kind of plan, always scheming something." Thor said, staring at the house longingly, wanting to reunite with his brother once again.

"Can you describe your brother again? I just want us to be sure who we're dealing with." Steve asked, watching the Thunder God's expression that held hope and sadness.

Thor sighed before turning back to the men present in the small confines of the vehicle, "He's a Frost Giant Halfling my Father adopted as his own, he's smart, cunning, can cast spells and illusions, ruthless from the last time I fought him." he sighed again, shaking his head, "Yet was broken both mentally and emotionally from the lie Father made him live his whole life."

The super soldier and billionaire watched the Asgardian who still held love for Loki despite what had happened in the past. "Let me try talking to him, friends." Thor requested, not wishing to fight his brother first before he has the chance to speak with him, brother to brother.

Tony blinked at the muscly man before holding up an index finger, "That is the worst plan you have." he bluntly said, eyeing the Thunder God skeptically, "You said he was broken mentally and emotionally, what if he's still crazy?"

"Mind your words Man of Iron," Thor warned, "he's still my little brother underneath all that. He's still in there." he added, turning back to the house with hope in his eyes before glancing at his comrades, "Let me talk to him." he said, silently begging him to give him a chance with this.

Tony and Steve glanced at each other, the look of understanding and sympathy passing between them before the latter sighed, "Just be careful Thor. You don't know how he'll react seeing how you two parted on...a bad note." he finished, not knowing how else to phrase that.

Thor nodded as he slid the door open and stepped out of the van, "Just give me ten minutes." he said to his teammates before sliding the door shut and walking towards the house with confident strides.

Tony and Steve watched Thor leave, the former still having doubts, "I don't know about this Cap', this doesn't seem like the best idea." he said, looking to the super soldier who nodded solemnly, "You're not the only one who thinks that. Loki has the Tesseract and a scepter that can control people. Yet what I don't understand is, why leave Barton behind but take the Cube with him. Surely he would need brain and skill on his side if he wanted to know how to use that thing." Steve surmised, trying to figure out Loki's character.

"Yeah, I'm still pissed that he knew how to control me like that." Barton's voice sounded over the radio, "The only reason why I'm not killing him is because he didn't make me kill any of my comrades back there." he added, mildly grateful he didn't hurt anyone whilst under Loki's control.

"But what if he uses that scepter on Thor?" Natasha asked, silence being her answer as the watched Thor walk up the steps to the front door before he rang the doorbell. "We're fucked." Tony said after a while as he leaned against the steering wheel.

Thor fidgeted where he stood, staring at the door in anticipation and excitement, wanting nothing more than to bust the door down and just hug his baby brother and apologize over and over again until he comes home. But he restrained himself from doing such a thing because he knows how Loki hates surprises, hates being manhandled and absolutely hates being crushed by his big brother.

Hearing the door unlock, his smile widened as the door opened to reveal a lean raven haired green eyed man who didn't look up as he counted the cash in his hand, "How much did you say I owed you?" he asked before looking up, expecting Thor to be the delivery man, but froze when he saw his smiling brother waving at him.

His eyes widened as the wallet fell from his hand before he sprang into action and tried to close the door in Thor's face. Thankfully, Thor slammed his foot in between the door and the frame before it could close on him. "Loki!" he yelled in surprise at his brother's reaction as he pushed the door open and entered, following the fleeing trickster who ran into the living room and stood behind the couch, using it as a shield as he watched Thor's movements.

"Loki!" Thor said again, moving to one side of the couch, but Loki moved the other direction, keeping his distance. He made a move to the opposite direction, only to have the same results as Loki continued trying to stay way from his brother. "Will you stop running away? I'm your big brother." Thor said incredulously as he jumped over the couch to get to Loki, but failed to grab him in time as the latter slipped away from him.

"That's the idea!" Loki exclaimed as he successfully got away from his brother for now, "I'm not going back to Asgard. You can't make me." he vehemently said, refusing to return to that place.

"Brother please, I just want to talk." Thor pleaded, holding his hands up as a sign of peace, trying to show Loki he wasn't a threat to him.

"Right, and I'm sure your comrades want to have a 'talk' as well." Loki sarcastically said, knowing his brother might be in contact with that organization that created the portal that brought him to Earth, "I know why you're here, Thor. The Tesseract is far too dangerous in the hands of humans who have no idea what it's capable of or what it could unleash."

Tony and Steve listened in the van while Natasha, Clint and Bruce from the jet. "He's not wrong." Steve said, agreeing with the trickster as Tony nodded while taking a drink.

"Loki, will you please sit still for one second?" Thor pleaded, watching his brother take a fire poker from beside the fire place. "Not a chance brother." Loki responded, holding his makeshift weapon in front of him, though it probably wouldn't do much harm considering it's Thor.

The Thunder God held his hands up as a show of peace, "Loki, put that down, and let's talk. We both deserve that much." he said, trying to be gentle and patient with his younger brother.

Loki looked like he was about to say something, but something behind Thor caught his attention. The Asgardian was confused by the change in Loki's expression that softened immediately before looking behind him to see something he never in his immortal life could've fathom.

There, peeking behind the hallway, before his eyes, stood a little girl, who looked to be four-years-old. She was small, not yet reaching his knee, her hair was jet black and touched her shoulders, and her eyes were a forest green that shown with innocence. Her face was heart shaped and her skin was pale yet had a certain glow underneath the lights and wore a white summer dress with frilly socks. Thor's eyes were wide as he beheld the beautiful little girl who bore a striking resemblance to Loki, those same green eyes staring up at them in curiosity and slight fear as she clutched her stuffed bunny to her chest.

"Snow Angel," Loki lowered the fire poker in his hand as he stared at his little one in surprise, "Did I wake you?" he asked, berating himself for causing too much noise that may have frightened her from her nap.

Thor glanced at Loki in surprise when he heard his voice turning soft all of a sudden before looking back at the little girl who silently shook her head, watching Thor in apprehension before speaking in a soft voice, "I thought it was time for Chinese. Were we expecting visitors, Papa?" Thor's heart melted at the adorable sound that came out of the child's mouth.

Loki carefully set his weapon back beside the fireplace as he made a beeline towards her before kneeling down until they were eye level with each other. "You don't have to be scared of him, he's just...an old friend from long ago who is just paying a surprise visit to Papa." Loki said, gently laying his hand on her delicate shoulder, bringing her wide eyes from the large muscled man to her Papa who spoke softly to her, "Papa and his friend have some grown up things to talk about alone. I'll call you when the food is here, okay love?"

She gazed at her Papa with trusting eyes before glancing at Thor who watched them with an unreadable expression. Facing her Papa again, she nodded, earning a smile from Loki who tickled her chin a little before she walked back to her room to read the many books that were borrowed from the town library by the Trickster himself.

Loki rose to his feet as he watched his little one close the door shut behind her before turning to face his brother again, meeting his shocked face that just witnessed a moment of tenderness from the God of Mischief. "Would you like some coffee?" Loki offered after a moment as Thor nodded, "Sure." the younger brother beckoned the elder to follow him to the kitchen where he started up the coffee machine and retrieved a couple of mugs from the cupboard. Silence passed between them as Loki prepared their hot beverage while Thor looked at the pictures hanging up on the wall, all of them depicting the child from the early stages of infancy to now, smiling at the camera. Thor couldn't help but smile at the sweet innocence captured before him, especially the ones where Loki was laughing with the little girl. Seeing such a pure expression on his brother's face was alien to him, something he can't remember ever seeing on Loki for a long time.

"Here you go." Loki's voice broke him out of his thoughts, making him turn away from the pictures to see his brother setting down the mug in front of him on the counter.

"Thank you." Thor said as he took a sip from the coffee filled mug. Loki sat across from him on the island, stirring the coffee in his hand with a spoon.

"So, _now_ are you ready to talk?" Thor asked, hoping his brother calmed down after the appearance of that child.

Loki sighed through his nose, "It depends on _what_ you want to talk about." he said, not looking up from his coffee.

Thor gripped the mug in his hand rather tightly, "I thought you dead." he said, remembering what happened that day that brought grief and heartbreak to his soul.

"Did you mourn?" Loki asked, no emotion within his voice as he fixed Thor with a disbelieving look.

Thor's heart broke at the lack of emotion within his little brother's voice, "We all did. Our Father-" Loki held up an index finger to silence him, " _Your_ Father. He did tell you my true parentage, did he not?" he asked, watching Thor's expression that held sadness at the way he spoke.

Thor didn't answer immediately, he didn't care if Loki was Jotun, they were still brothers. "We were _raised_ together. We played together. We _fought_ together. Do you remember none of that?" he asked, begging him to remember what they were-still are.

"I remember a shadow." Loki gave him a deadpanned look, "Living in the shade of your greatness." he said, feeling bitter at the memories of how he was second best and undervalued as a Prince. "But no more." Loki shook his head, "You can't hurt me anymore while I'm here, not while I still have the Tesseract you and your humans seek." he said, leaning back in his stool.

"What are you planning to do with it, Loki?" Thor asked, afraid of the possibilities his brother was willing to use for that Cube.

Loki shrugged, "I'm not gonna use it for anything, really." he answered, not particularly caring about the artifact. "I hid it safely so no human will misuse it for whatever foolish purpose they deemed themselves worthy of control. If you think I'm lying, ask Director Fury, I'm sure those two assassins of his, the billionaire, the super soldier, and the intelligent one who turns into a green giant will want those answers as well. Isn't that right, Mr. Stark?" Loki asked, knowing his brother's friends were listening to their conversation.

"I hate to say it, but he makes a pretty good point." Tony said over the com-link as Steve nodded in agreement.

Loki took a sip of his coffee before letting out another sigh, "I'll be perfectly honest with you brother." he began, looking the God of Thunder in the eye, "When I came through that portal, I was given specific orders to use it to bring the Chitauri army here and concur the planet." Thor's eyes widened as Loki continued, "In exchange for the army and victory, I would give the Chitauri the Tesseract as payment for their service. However, if I didn't do as commanded, they would track me down and bring me to him just like they did when I fell into that abyss." he finished, staring into his coffee as he remembered that warning.

The front door opened, followed by five pairs of feet that came into the kitchen, the two assassins holding their weapons in their hands. "I'm sorry, what army did you say wanted to invade our planet?" Tony asked, setting himself in a stool next to Thor.

Loki gave him a displeased look, "Why hello, oh sure, come in, make yourself at home." he said sarcastically at the team who entered his home without permission.

"There's that sarcasm I missed so much." Thor smiled as he took a sip of his coffee while Steve shook his head before opening his mouth, "I'm really sorry for intruding on you like this, but we don't know if you are an enemy or a friend if you're holding onto something that can bring an alien army to Earth as you just said." he said, trying to be civil and cordial as he spoke to the God of Mischief.

"I'm not your enemy, neither am I your friend. I don't care about your S.H.I.E.L.D people or what they do for this planet as long as they don't dabble in other worldly items that get people killed." Loki answered, plain and simple as he poured creamer into his coffee to sweeten up the bitterness.

"Then why keep the Tesseract?" Barton asked, narrowing his eyes at Loki, "What's stopping you from just bringing these...Chitauri to this planet if they threatened your life?"

Loki sighed shaking his head before looking up at the archer, "They didn't give me a choice. But I made my decision. I'm not gonna give them the Tesseract, I'm gonna lose it... to Thor-" he pointed at his brother, "-who is gonna take that Cube to Asgard and keep it in Odin's vault where it will be kept under lock and key." Leaning forward, he directed his gaze on the Avengers, "Secondly, you are going to tell your boss, Director Fury, that it's been destroyed, better for it to be nothing than let him use it as a weapon."

Bruce adjusted his glasses, "He's gotta point there. We don't know what the Cube is capable of, so it's better to be kept somewhere by people we know and trust." he said, not finding any room to argue with Loki.

"Mmhm, what's the third condition, there's always a third condition." Tony asked, leaning back in his stool as they watched Loki.

"I want to be left alone." Loki said quickly, surprising them before he continued, "I want to live a quiet life here away from Asgard," he directed his gaze to Thor, "Avengers," he looked to Tony, Bruce and Steve, "and S.H.I.E.L.D." he finished as he turned his eyes to Natasha and Clint. "You do not ask me to join your team or return to Asgard, and I swear I will not cause trouble on Midgard for the duration of my stay here. I'll even provide information on the dangerous people I came across outside of your planet should they come to Midgard." They all stared at him in disbelief before Loki added, "It's not much when you really think about it."

Thor looked like he was ready to haul his brother out of his chair and drag him back to Asgard with or without the Tesseract. "You would abandon your home?" he question, his voice deeper than normal with emotion.

"I'm not abandoning anything, as far as I'm concerned, Asgard abandoned me. That realm doesn't need me, it never needed me." Loki said, trying to keep the bitterness out of his voice as he thought of what used to be his home.

"Is it because of the child, your little Snow Angel?" Thor asked, glancing at the pictures on the wall. The other looked as well, only now noticing the adorable little girl in the photos.

"My main reason, yes." Loki answered, staring at the pictures fondly.

Thor decided to try a different approach to get him to come home, "You can bring her home to Asgard, Mother and Father will be delighted to finally have a Grandchild." If he thought Jotenheim was cold, Loki's stare was frosty as hell.

Turning to Tony he requested, "Mr. Stark, could you and your friends leave me and my brother alone for a moment? I promise, the Tesseract will be in Thor's hands when he walks out that door."

Tony stood up and patted Thor on the shoulder, "Good luck, make sure you survive." he said before leaving with the Avengers following him, each of them giving Thor sympathetic looks.

The moment the door closed, Thor braced himself as Loki narrowed his eyes at him, "You will listen to _every_ word I say, so I want you to keep your mouth shut until I'm done." he said sternly as Thor nodded like a child that is about to get scolded. "There is no way in Goddamn hell that I am bringing my child to a place that will kill her for being different from the rest of Asgard. If Asgard didn't accept me for not being like them, what makes you believe in a fantasy that she will be accepted as well. And don't say it's because she Odin's Grandchild, because he won't care, _none_ of them will care. I will not take her to a place that will kill her. My place is here with my child, and it is here where she will be raised to live an honest and healthy childhood." he finished, letting Thor know of his feelings about Asgard and their backwards view on him.

Thor was completely tongue tied, for once he didn't know what else to say. His brother's protectiveness over this one child astounded him, making it hard for Thor to recognize the man before him. "But she's of a royal family, _our_ family." Thor said, finding his voice again.

"So was I. But it didn't mean I had their love and respect like you did. I wanted it, but never asked for it." Loki said, further opening up the wound. "I'm not a Prince anymore, brother. Not while I remain here. Luciana is my little Princess who I am sworn to protect." he said, tenderness and love leaking into his voice, "She's all I care about now, not Asgard, not the Nine Realms, not even the throne. Just her. She is my world now. I betrayed my so-called master to find her. I stole the Tesseract and ignored my mission to protect her, because she is more important than invading and ruling a planet."

Thor's eyes shone with unshed tears at Loki's declaration, how parenthood changed him in ways completely shook him to the core. His brother changed so drastically, more so than he himself could admit. He knew his words will not convince Loki to come back home, because his home was with his child. With a sigh, he bowed his head, admitting defeat.

Loki saw that Thor has given up...for now at least. "I'll give you the Tesseract, but you have to promise me that you will not drag me back to Asgard or send any of your lackeys to take me back by force. And your friends must honor their end of the deal to _never_ bother me or get me to join your flying circus. I want to be left alone to raise my daughter. Plain and simple."

Thor's com-link buzzed, "It's a pretty good deal Thor. He's practically giving it to us for nothing." Tony said, having heard their conversation with the team, all of them couldn't help but feel touched by what he said.

Thor sighed then nodded, "Alright, I won't make you come home until you are ready." he said, conceding to his brother's wishes before smiling at him, "But should the time come when you have need of me or the Avengers for assistance, don't hesitate to give us a call." he added, wanting him to know that he will help him whenever he needs him.

Loki returned his smile and nodded, "Looks like we have a deal then." he said, holding out his hand to his brother for them to shake on it to seal the deal. Thor grasped the man's smaller hand in his and firmly shook it before releasing it as Loki stood from his stool. "Stay there for a moment, I'll get the Tesseract." he said before leaving the kitchen to go fetch the Tesseract as promised.

Thor let out a sigh again, while he was happy to get the Cube and take it where it will be safely guarded, he still wanted his brother to come back and return to the way things used to be. But for now, this will have to suffice. The most he can do is visit his brother and hope that with his presence, he can reforge the bond that was damaged and convince him to come home.

Feeling a small presence behind him, he turned to the kitchen doorway to see that same little girl standing by the frame, her stuffed bunny still clutched in her tiny arms. An awkward silence passed between them as they stared at each other. Thor didn't know how to handle this situation, on one hand, she was almost an exact copy of his brother where he wanted nothing more than to pick up the little cutie; but on the other hand, Loki would probably ask him to keep as far away from his child out of protective nature.

Without saying a word, the little tyke walked passed him towards the high chair in the corner before tossing her bunny into the seat. Thor watched the little girl in intrigue before his eyes widened when said little girl took the leg in her hands and dragged it with minimal effort over to the island until it was next to Thor.

"You know, I could've helped you with that." Thor stated as the little girl climbed the steps of her high chair to sit in her seat before bringing down the tray that was attached to it. "I know." she replied in a clear voice as she held her bunny in her arms, "But it is important that I practice mobility and in-dee-pen-di-ence." she slowly pronounced, still trying to get used to the word she just learned.

"That's strangely cute." Tony commented as the team smiled at the way she said it over the com.

Thor ignored his friend's comment as he smiled at the little girl, "What is your name little one?" he asked, wanting to call her something other than 'little girl'.

"I am Luciana." she introduced herself, slightly hiding her face behind her bunny, a gesture Thor found adorable, "Papa calls me Lucy."

Thor couldn't help but grin affectionately at her, "Lady Lucy, a beautiful name for a beautiful girl. I'm Thor, your Papa's brother. You can call me Uncle." he said, holding his large hand out to Lucy who glanced down at it shyly before placing her much smaller hand in his, "Nice to meet Uncle." she said before giggling when he kissed her knuckles. "It's nice to meet you as well." he said, giving her a wink, smiling as Lucy hid her face behind her bunny again.

Loki came back into the room with the metal suitcase in hand, "And here we are." he said, glancing at Lucy in surprise for a second as she smiled innocently at him. Loki shook his head with a smile as he opened the case to show his brother the Tesseract inside. Thor and Lucy's eyes widened at the sight of the glowing blue Cube as it rested in the center of its containment before Loki closed it shut, "Tesseract is accounted for and ready to be shipped off to Asgard." he said as he slid the case to Thor.

"Isn't that the same glowing block you told me never to play with because it is too dangerous for me to handle?" Lucy asked, eyes staying glued to the case.

"That's right sweetheart, and Thor here will be taking it to a safe place so that no one can misuse it." Loki said as his brother took the case off the island.

"Otherwise it will explode?" Lucy asked with a tilt of her head as Thor chuckled, "Something like that, Lady Lucy."

"Have fun then." Lucy said before the door opened and Tony carried the Chinese food into the kitchen, "Here's your Chinese food. Don't worry, it's already been paid for by yours truly." he said as Loki looked like he was about to say something about that, but Tony kept talking, "That the Cube?" he asked, looking at the case in Thor's hand.

"It is." Thor answered as Tony clapped his hands together, "Perfect. Loki, thanks for not using it to take over the world. We really appreciate it. Saves us the damage and the headache from Fury." he said to Loki who leaned against the counter across from his daughter as they stared at the billionaire.

"Trust me, you'll get that headache from your Director when he sees you return _without_ the Tesseract." Loki said as he opened the plastic bag and started taking out the containers filled with food.

Tony's smile fell from his face, "Yeah, didn't think about that." he mumbled to himself, realizing that if Thor takes the Tesseract back to Asgard as part of the deal, the rest of the Avengers will be forced to take the heat from Fury himself.

Loki chuckled, "My advice, get him drunk first, then tell him." he said as he took out a small fork from the drawer and handed it to Lucy before setting out her noodles in front of her.

Ton snapped his fingers at the idea, "I'll give that idea a shot. And speaking of which, we should get a drink sometime. Since you're just staying on Earth for the quiet, we can hang out together. You, me, Thor and the Avengers." he offered, watching Loki raise his eyebrows at him before turning to his brother.

"Companionship, brother. We're not gonna make you join the Avengers. Plus this'll be a good way for us to hang out and get to know my little niece." Thor added, cooing at the little girl who smiled up at her Uncle.

Loki groaned inwardly, knowing from his child's reaction to the Thunder God that she will want to hang out with him as well. This in turn will complicate things down the line given Lucy's...habits. "I'll think about it. But as long as you people do not try to persuade me to join your little band of misfits, I'll stay out of trouble. At least give me a call in advance if you're gonna drop in. You know how much I hate surprises." Loki said with a sigh, giving into their request as long as they abide by his conditions.

Thor nodded with a smile, "Wonderful, brother! Stark let's go." he said to the billionaire with a tilt of his head towards the door.

"Oh wait, I forgot something." Thor paused before walking back over to Loki who wasn't paying attention until he was engulfed in a hug.

"You...oaf!" Loki gasped when big arms encased him as his face was buried in the bigger man's neck.

Lucy turned to Tony in question, but the older man shrugged, "First time I'm seeing this." he said as Thor released Loki who held his ribs, "Warning next time. You know I don't like it when you do that." Loki scolded his brother, happy and irritated by Thor's actions that have lasted since childhood.

"Sorry brother, couldn't help myself." Thor said, still smiling at Loki who shook his head at him before he and Stark made their way out of the kitchen. "Bye Lucy, I'll see you soon." Thor waved at his niece before disappearing out the door.

Loki and Lucy listened to them talk outside for a couple of minutes before a light flashed a rainbow color for a moment, indicating that Thor returned to Asgard with the Tesseract in tow. After a while, they heard the van and the Quinjet leave the premises, the property finally becoming quiet as Loki let out a long sigh, "I thought they'd never leave." he said as he turned on the small TV that was in the corner of the kitchen before walking over to the cupboard underneath the sink to take out a small cooler before setting it on the counter.

Lucy watched her Papa's movements as she slurped up her noodles, the sweet metallic scent hitting her nostrils, making her throat itch in thirst as he opened the cooler and pulled out a blood bag. Loki got a sippy-cup from one of the cupboards above him and proceeded to empty the bag into said cup. Lucy smacked her lips together in anticipation as she watched the red liquid pour into the hard plastic, her small growing body needing that substance almost everyday.

With the cup filled to the brim, Loki twisted the nozzle closed then putting it back in the cooler and turning the lid on the sippy-cup shut before giving it to Lucy who took it gently in her tiny hands before she started drinking it like every child who have been given juice, only in this case, blood. Setting the cup down, she returned to eating her Chinese dinner with gusto while Loki calmly used his chopsticks to pick up his chicken.

"Papa, are we going to tell Uncle Thor the truth?" Lucy asked as she twirled the noodles around in her container.

"Do you want to?" Loki gently asked, staring at his child with love and protectiveness.

Lucy was quiet as she stared at her food, "I know we shouldn't, but he seems really nice, I like him." she said, happy with her first meeting with someone outside of her Papa's house.

Loki sighed, thinking of his loving brother who still called him family despite his true heritage, but wasn't brave enough to tell him the truth about Lucy. "Let's give it some time first. He wants to get to know you, maybe spoil you like the Uncle he is." Loki said, smiling at the thought of Thor being a doting Uncle.

Lucy smiled up at Loki, complete adoration in her eyes, "I'm trying not to grow up so fast Papa. Honest. Maybe that way, he won't notice as much." Lucy said, hating that her accelerated growth refuses to seize no matter how hard she tried.

Loki chuckled through his nose, "I know you are Snow Angel. Just stay as you are for as long as you can." he said, understanding and patient with the sweet child he was blessed with after years of constant loneliness and rejection from everyone. She is truly a treasure, the light within his life, no matter where she came from.

"Eat up sweetheart, afterwards, we'll read whichever book you pick out tonight." Loki said, making Lucy smile and give a thumbs up, "Sold." he chuckled at her response as the spent the rest of the evening eating take out and watching TV, the Trickster being content in his little corner of the world.

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 _ **Give you multiple guesses on where she came from. Next chapter will be the aftermath of Loki's decision. Yes, Thor will be telling his Father and Nick will still want Loki to be part of the initiative. If this made you happy, leave a review. Thank you.**_


	2. Telling the Leaders

"You did what?! What do you mean Thor took it to Asgard?!" Nick exclaimed, living up to his name as he glared angrily with his only eye at the Avengers, minus Thor, sitting around the large table. He could not believe his ears when the very team he assembled to retrieve the Tesseract returned with nothing but an explanation saying Thor took it back to Asgard for safe keeping.

"In all honesty, Loki wanted us to lie to you by saying that the Cube was destroyed." Tony quipped, wishing he had gotten the guy drunk as Loki advised, but knew that wouldn't even work.

"And he thought I'd believe _that_?" Nick asked in exasperation, mildly irritated by how nonchalant Tony and the others seemed by this turn of events.

"No, not really. He just wanted to be left alone." Tony said to Nick who gave him the stink eye, "Enlighten me, _why_ didn't bring Loki here? You know he stole that Tesseract." he said, obviously unhappy with how the Trickster got away with the Tesseract and was granted clemency instead.

"He has a daughter." Steve said, watching Nick's eye widen as the super soldier continued, "Apparently, someone outside of our solar system wanted him to find the Tesseract, bring some savage alien army to concur the planet and give said Tesseract to their master. Between the Cube and his daughter, he chose her." Nick's expression was completely dumbfounded by this bit of information.

Barton was the next one to speak, "He gave the Tesseract to Thor on the promise that he will not be taken back to Asgard against his will, or be forced to join the Avengers. He is also willing to give us information on what he knows about the people who wanted him to invade Earth as long as we don't bother him or bring him into our affairs. As long as he stays out of trouble, we won't give him hell." he finished, remembering the man's conditions while remembering the pictures he and the team saw in the kitchen, how Loki appeared completely human with the kid.

"And you just took his word for it." Nick stated, still mildly stung by the loss of the Tesseract but happy that some maniac didn't use it for their own means.

"As far as anyone's concerned, his daughter keeps him from going on some power mad quest." Bruce commented, remembering Loki's words through the com-link when the latter spoke of his love for his child. "Let's just leave him be, he wants to raise his daughter without any interference from us. We kinda owe him for not bringing war to Earth." he added, watching his friends nod in agreement to his assessment.

Nick was silent as he took in what was just said to him, and looking at each of the team members of the Avengers Initiative, he could see from their expressions that they weren't worried about Loki causing trouble. "Who's the kid?" Nick asked, curious about this child that keeps this potential ally or formidable enemy from doing what was mentioned earlier.

"Her name's Lucy. Cute kid, Thor likes her already." Tony answered, remembering the parental fondness he saw in the big man's eyes when he looked at his brother's daughter.

"What about her Mother, was she not present?" Nick asked, watching them look at each other in question before Natasha answered, "We didn't see her, there were no pictures of her with Loki or his daughter. Our most logical guess is that she died when Lucy was just an infant, and he's raising her on his own."

Tony leaned back in his chair, "He was quite mellow with his kid around. I pretty much like the guy, even invited him for a drink sometime." he said, making Nick roll his eye at him, but the former didn't stop, "Let's just leave him be like we promised, who knows, maybe he'll join us of his own free will." he added, thinking of the possibility of Loki joining their team and all kinds of discussion they could have with each other.

Nick sighed as he looked at the rest of the team, "You're all comfortable with Thor's brother roaming around freely." he stated rather than asked.

"If something happens, we'll take responsibility and bring him in as planned." Barton assured him with slight discomfort, not at all fond of the idea of separating a parent from their child seeing how he's a father himself.

Nick nodded, "See that you do." he said before leaving the room with Steve calling out after him, "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to find Agent Coulson and pay Thor's brother a visit." Nick answered as though it were the simplest thing in the world.

* * *

The moment Thor arrived in Asgard, he immediately went to the throne room to meet with the Allfather and Allmother privately in order to tell them what has happened. He held the metal case containing the Tesseract in his hand while his hammer was strapped to his hip, his strides long and purposeful as he walked through the palace. He passed by servants who bowed to him, which he greeted in return as he made his way to the throne room, excited and nervous to tell them about their Granddaughter.

Upon entering the throne room, he was relieved to see the entre room completely void of people save Odin and Frigga who stood together at the bottom of the stairs. Mother and Father turned to see him, both with a smile on their face when they saw their son return, but faltered when they didn't see his brother beside him.

When Thor stood in front of them, he bowed his head to his King and Queen before opening the case to present them the Tesseract, "Allfather, Allmother, I have brought back the Tesseract as promised, this artifact will no longer fall into the wrong hands while in Asgard." he said, seeing their eyes widen at the sight of the Cube before the Allfather took it out of said case and held it in his hand. For a long moment, he stared at it, mesmerized by its glow before walking out of the throne room towards where the vault is located with his wife and son following him.

Odin placed the Cube on one of the many stone slabs in the vault before stepping back. He stared at it again before closing his only eye and letting out a sigh, "You didn't bring Loki back like you promised." he stated to Thor without looking at him.

Thor let out a breath as he looked at his Mother who stared at him, wanting to know why he didn't have Loki with him. "I wanted to bring him back home. But he had the Tesseract." he paused as Odin slowly turned to face him, there was no expression in the Allfather's face as he stared at his eldest son. "I didn't fight him for it, he gave it to me in exchange for a promise that I will never forcibly drag him back to Asgard against his will." he admitted, watching their eyes widen at what he just said.

"You left your brother on Midgard?" His Mother exclaimed in disbelief, yet was relieved to learn her son was still alive.

Thor bowed his head, "He wanted to be left alone Mother. He wanted to live peacefully away from Asgard and all the scorn it has given him these past years." he said, watching unshed tears glisten in his Mother's eyes.

Odin slammed his fist on the stone table, making the Tesseract shake from the vibration, "How could you have left him there!" he yelled in frustration, "He was supposed to return here as my son! My son!" his voice echoed in the vault as tears of anger and sadness shown in his eye.

If Loki had been there to see the expression on Odin's face, he would've believed the man truly loved him just as he did with Thor. With a sigh, the elder prince looked his Father in the eye, taking a deep breath, "He has a child." Almost immediately, their faces went from question to shock at this revelation.

"What?" Frigga was the first to speak, her eyes wide with surprise as she stared at her elder son.

Thor nodded, "Her name is Lucy, she'd be around four now." he said before reaching into his pouch at his side to take out a small picture frame. "I took this from Loki's house when he wasn't looking. He has plenty of pictures hanging up." he handed the frame to Frigga who took it carefully in her hands before flipping it over to see the picture, her hand flying to her mouth to stifle the gasp at what she saw. A fully grown up Loki was smiling back at her with unreserved joy as he held a small child with black hair and green eyes in his lap who gave a shy yet sweet smile, holding her stuffed bunny in her small arms.

Odin looked over her shoulder, all breath leaving his system at the sight of his younger son and a small child who looks like him, both happy and smiling in the picture. Seeing the small child's familiar green eyes staring back at him brought forth a nostalgic feeling as new tears came to his eyes, this time, they weren't of sadness.

Frigga placed a hand to her chest, smiling through tears as she stared at her child and newly discovered Grandchild, "By the Norns, she's beautiful." she whispered, glancing up at her son who had the same expression as hers, "She's even more lovely in real life Mother." he said, the fresh memory of his sweet adorably little niece in his mind.

Odin stared at the innocent face of his Granddaughter, the same smile Loki once held when he was just a child made his heart clench. "She looks so much like Loki." he said, finally finding his voice, a small smile came onto his aged face.

Thor's heart softened at the sight of his parents gazing fondly at the picture, "She does. Loki loves her more than anything, more than all the Nine Realms." he told them, remembering how Loki spoke of his child with love and adoration.

Odin laughed through his nose, "A child can do that to you." he said, remembering how he felt the moment he held both his sons in his arms for the first time.

"Lady Lucy has done more than that. She saved Midgard." Thor said, the King and Queen looking up at him in surprise.

"What do you mean my son?" Odin asked, a million scenarios going through his head on how this child saved a planet.

Thor looked down for a moment before facing his parents, "I don't know all the details, but I can tell you that Loki was sent to Midgard to retrieve the Tesseract and bring an army of Chitauri to conquer the planet." His Mother gasped at this information, as Thor continued, "But Loki defied his would-be master in favor of Lucy. He may as well have put himself in danger of betraying whoever sent him for the Cube, but he doesn't care for his life, only Lucy. Her existence alone has saved Loki from making the biggest mistake in his life while also saving a planet from destruction." he finished, praising his niece for unwittingly saving her Father and Midgard from war.

Odin and Frigga stared at their son, their mouths gaped open at the revelation that was presented to them before the Allfather spoke, "Someone tried to make my son into their puppet." he seethed, angry at whoever thought to control his younger son.

"I don't know who they are Father. Loki has yet to divulge that information, though I get the sense that the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. will be extracting that from him very soon. Loki did say that he will tell them what they need to know and to be prepared for in the future should this person come. This information exchange was also part of the deal to let him raise his daughter in peace without anyone's interference. Mine included." Thor added with a hint of sadness in his voice, still heartbroken over not being able to bring his brother and niece home. At his parents' questioning looks, Thor explained, "He gave me the Tesseract on the promise that I never take him back to Asgard by force, and the deal for his willingness to divulge information on a greater enemy is to not be bothered to join my team. As long as he keeps out of trouble, we are to leave him be as promised." he finished, remembering the conditions his brother made to him on the letter.

Odin and Frigga took in everything Thor just informed them, for once, since Loki fell from the Bifrost, they didn't know how to process this turn of events. "Have you asked him to come home?" Frigga asked, still hopeful for her son's return.

Thor nodded, "I did, but he wants to stay on there and raise Lucy as he wishes." he sighed, "As much as I want him to come home, I believe this is for the best."

"He's a Prince of Asgard, he should be here. Him and my Granddaughter." Odin said, almost making Thor smile at how he claimed Lucy as his family without reservation. But Thor kept his face composed, "Given Asgard's mistreatment of him before that incident, Loki doesn't feel it's safe for his daughter to be among people who didn't accept him." he bowed his head, "He also feared _you_ would never accept her either." he said to the Allfather, not needing to look up to see his heartbroken expression at what Loki told Thor.

Odin felt hurt at the accusation that Loki delivered through his brother. Looking down at the picture in his wife's hand, he memorized both his son's and Granddaughter's features, not finding it in him to be angry at Loki for what he thought of him. "He is afraid I will hurt her." he stated, sighing as he bowed his head, "The blame for those horrible fears rest solely on me. If I had just I told him the truth from the beginning, if I had told him that I loved him no matter what he was, he would never have any reason to fear for his child." His finger traced the face of his younger son, "I failed him as a Father."

"There is still hope though." Thor said, making them look up at their son. "He hasn't completely pushed me out of his life yet. I can still talk to him. If I can't convince him to come back to Asgard, then maybe I can repair the bond between us. He may not want to be part of the Avengers, but he still hasn't forgotten the fact that we're still brothers." he said, hope lacing his voice as he talked about his younger brother.

"Let us abide by his wishes and leave him be, let him come home on his own terms when he's ready, not because you ordered him to." Thor said to Odin before adding, "He wants to raise his little princess in a peaceful environment away from the scrutiny of Asgard. Between being a Father and Prince, which do you think he values more?"

Frigga's fell gently on Odin's shoulder, "It does have a ring of fairness to it." she gently said to her husband who gave his attention to her, "His devotion to his daughter overpowered his lust for power. We should honor that kind of love and sincerity if he was willing to relinquish the Tesseract to Thor. I agree with Thor, as much as it pains me not to see my child yet, his fear and reservation is understandable. Let him come home when he's ready. When that happens, we can finally meet our first Grandchild." she said, counseling him over Loki's decision to remain on Earth.

Odin listened to both his wife and son, their testaments overruling his desire to have his son back and make amends with him, right the wrongs he committed to him personally. But looking at the picture, he knew he can no longer force Loki to do anything anymore, because his son was now a Father, and will choose his child over Asgard if it came down to it.

Closing his eye, he released a long sigh, "I don't like the idea of him remaining on Midgard, but for my Granddaughter's sake, I will accept it." he said, conceding to his younger son's will.

Thor let out a relived sigh, happy that he won't be forced to break his promise to his brother, "Loki will truly appreciate that. This is a step in the right direction."

Odin smiled a little, "Loki is a Father now. If this picture was any indication, he will be a better, more understanding parent than I ever was to him." he said, regretful for not being the Father Loki needed growing up.

Thor placed a firm hand on his Father's shoulder, "There's still time Father, Loki is a kind man underneath all that mischief. He'll come home. We just have to be patient." he said, hoping this will be enough to give his Father some comfort.

Odin held back his tears as he stared at his family, relishing in these few moments where they can stop being royal and just be as they are now. "I know, I owe so much to Loki." Odin nodded, placing his hand on Thor's, finding comfort in the contact.

Thor squeezed his shoulder, a fond smile present on his face before separating from the Allfather. "I must go now Father, Mother, for the Avengers would want to have assurance knowing the Tesseract is guarded." he said apologetically, wishing he didn't have to leave so soon.

Odin nodded, "Do your duty, my son." he said, knowing he has a duty as Midgard's protector.

"Thor," Frigga spoke, still holding the picture in her hand, "when you see your brother again, tell him we miss him." she requested, glancing down at the smiling faces of Loki and Lucy.

Thor smiled, "I will Mother." he said before placing a kiss to her cheek then left the vault for the bifrost.

The King and Queen were left alone, surrounded by the ancient trophies. Frigga stared after her son before looking down at her son and Granddaughter again, the beauty within their smiles warming her heart as well as her husband's. Odin wrapped an arm around his wife's shoulders, his only eye staring at the picture, "Loki has done despicable things when he found out the truth. But this child, who is unaware of how vital her role is in these realms, is the only one who can redeem him." he said, memorizing the resemblance between Father and child.

Frigga held the picture to her chest the way she would for her children, "She is a hero, she saved our son." she said, looking up at her husband, love and hope shining in her eyes and added, "Lucy is his light in the darkness."

Odin shared in her smile, "Aye, that she is. If the Gods are willing, Loki will let us meet her." he said as they left the vault arm in arm.

An idea came to Frigga, making her smile broaden as excitement filled her. "My Queen, what are you planning?" Odin asked, catching that familiar expression on her face.

Turning to Odin, she stifled a laugh as she answered, "Nothing, I just want to get started in making my Granddaughter's room." Odin chuckled at this, the enthusiasm in her voice warming his heart as they strolled through the palace.

* * *

 ** _AN: The name 'Lucy' is an English and French feminine given name derived from Latin masculine given name Lucius with the meaning as of light (born at dawn or daylight._**

 ** _I'm sorry if I made anyone a little ooc, I just wanted to set an emotional buildup with a dash of fluff. I hope this warms your heart. Thank you for reading. Even if some of you aren't a fan of Twilight, I appreciate you all giving this story a shot. Until then, hit the review button._**


	3. The Director Visits the Trickster

_**Warning: Mentions of suicide**_

* * *

Loki should've known that his house would be getting another visit the day after he gave the Tesseract away. Then again, he always hoped for too much. He checked the peep hole this time, sighing in exasperation when he recognized one of them. Knowing that this was unavoidable, he unlocked the door to be greeted by Director Nick Fury and some smiling man in a suit standing dutifully beside him.

"Director Nick Fury." Loki greeted, locking eyes with Nick's single one that stared at him unwavering.

"Loki of Asgard." Nick returned, nodding in acknowledgement before turning to his fellow agent, "This is Agent Coulson." he introduced Phil who waved with a friendly smile on his face.

Loki nodded to Phil in greeting before facing Nick again, "I assume your Avengers have already informed you."

"You assume correctly." Nick stated as Loki sighed through his nose before tilting his head into his home, "Come inside, let's talk." he invited them into his house. Nick and Phil followed Loki inside, glancing around at the modest décor of the house before they caught sight of the little girl in front of the coffee table in the common room, taking out a game of Scrabble. The little green eyed child looked up and met their eyes before waving at them silently. Phil, still smiling, waved back before she returned to setting up the game.

"I can get you some coffee if you'd like." Loki offered, bringing their attention back to him. "I'm alright." Nick answered while Phil raised a hand, "Water will do nicely."

Loki nodded, "I'll be back, make yourselves comfortable." he said before retreating into the kitchen to get Phil his water. This left the two agents alone in the living room with Lucy who seems to be ignoring them as she continued her task in setting up the game. Deciding to take Loki's advice, Phil sat in one of the seats that were across the sofa with the coffee table between them. An awkward silence filled the air as the two agents continued making glances at the child who hummed a song under her breath.

Loki came back into the room with Phil's water, "Here you go." he said, handing the drink to the agent who took it with a polite smile as Loki sat on the ground in front of the couch in front of the coffee table with the Scrabble board laid out. Lucy surprised the two agents when she moved two more tile racks in front of them after she took out the number of tiles for her own. "Pick your letters." she requested as she arranged the letters on her rack while Loki took out the tiles from the bag.

"Excuse me?" Nick said with a raised eyebrow as Loki passed the bag to him and said, "You showed up when we were about to have game night, time to pay the price." After a moment of staring at the God of Mischief, Nick sighed before taking the bag from Loki. After getting the number of tiles required for the game, he passed it to Phil who seemed to be taking it in stride as he got his letters.

So there they were, all four of them, sitting on the floor around the coffee table playing Scrabble. Nick had already shed himself of his black coat and was currently taking his turn spelling out the word on the board. "Is that supposed to be 'duck'?" Lucy asked, seeing how the first tile was a blank while the rest ended with '-uck'.

"Sure, why not." Nick deadpanned, leaning his head in his fist while Phil chuckled under his breath and Loki shook his head at him.

"How did this even happen?" Nick felt he needed clarification on how he ended up playing Scrabble.

"We knocked on his door." Phil answered, not at all bothered by this turn of events as he arranged the tiles on his rack before spelling out another word that crossed with the others.

"So what was it you needed to speak to me about?" Loki asked, striking up a conversation as he watched Phil finish with his turn, Lucy followed soon after to begin hers.

"I'm curious." Nick stated, staring at Loki, "You were sent here to do a villainous act that would have branded you as a monster and enemy of this world. But you chose not to. Because of that, the Avengers, your big brother, have decided to trust you and honor your request."

Loki turned to him, looking him dead in the eye, "But you don't trust me enough to leave me in peace." he stated, expecting the Director to not let this go.

"I understand why you made your choice." Nick said, glancing at Lucy who was concentrating on what to spell before quickly turning back to Loki, "But I have my doubts. You're still a dangerous person. While the Avengers will keep their word, I'll still have my eye on you."

Loki leaned back on the couch behind him, "I don't doubt that." he said with a challenging look.

Nick sighed through his nose, "I'm grateful to you for not using the Tesseract as you originally intended." he said, conceding his thanks, "I'd offer you a spot in the Avengers Initiative, but that would break the deal that was just recently made, and you wouldn't want to join even if I asked." he added, watching Loki's face that hasn't changed from it's stoic expression.

"You assume correctly." Loki nodded as Lucy spelled out a word on the board, his turn coming up next. Leaning forward, he quickly made use of his vast vocabulary skills and spelled out the word he thought of earlier.

It was Nick's turn, "Tell me why you don't want to be part of the Avengers, what's the real reason you won't be a hero, aside from the obvious." he added, referring to Lucy who tilted her head curiously.

Loki sighed through his nose again as he played with one of the tiles in his hand. "You know Thor is the older brother, and the heir to Asgard." Nick nodded as he continued, "I would always join him and his friends in their quests, but only because he asks me to, one of his methods to make me spend time with him." Loki stared off at the bittersweet memories he has with his brother, "I am not the ideal warrior like my brother Director, I did my part to make sure he and his friends came back alive. But I gained no recognition, respect, or even joy from his adventures. People on Asgard and Midgard see me as an evil trickster long before I found out the truth of my parentage. Me being on your Avengers will not change anything. I'm not a hero." Loki said, shaking his head at the very idea of being part of the same team as his brother again.

Something small pressed into his side, making him look down in surprise as identical green eyes stared up at him adoringly, "You're my hero Papa." she said in the most beautiful voice that made Loki smile as he reflexively wrapped an arm around her and kissed the top of her head, forgetting they had company.

"Kid can't seem to lie." Phil said, smiling at the sweet scene, "Which is ironic seeing as you're the God of Lies." he added, making Loki look up at him before laughing through his nose, "You're right about that."

Nick hid his smile at the adorable moment between Loki and his kid before composing himself. "So is that your final answer?" he asked as Loki turned his attention back to Nick, but still kept his arm around Lucy. "I'm afraid so, Director. This is how it is. I'm sorry if this disappoints you." Loki said, being cordial as ever.

A feint smile ghosted across Nick's face before he responded, "At least you're honest." he said, a joke hiding in that statement as Loki smiled at the irony. "Since you won't join, care to tell us who sent you after the Tesseract in the first place?" Nick asked, watching the smile vanish from Loki's face as he tensed up, a memory of that horrible moment in time flashing before his eyes.

Turning to Lucy, he said, "Snow Angel, can you continue the fight for me? Director Fury and I have some things we need to discuss." Lucy nodded before she separated from him.

"Agent Coulson, do keep her company for moment." Loki requested as he stood up with Nick who followed his lead.

"Of course." Phil responded as Loki took Nick's coat off the couch and handed it to said man before they walked out of the door. Nick followed Loki until they were at the edge of the tree line that surrounded the house. The black haired man let out a breath as he turned to face Nick, "I didn't want to discuss this in front of Lucy because I don't want her to know about all the horrible things I went through at the hands of another." he said as Nick nodded in understanding while the other leaned against the tree.

Loki closed his eyes as memories he wanted so desperately to forget surfaced, "I won't go into detail with you Director, the pain I suffered from that monster who wanted to break me doesn't compare to the lasting effects it left behind. You have no idea how badly I wanted to die, just so I can rest peacefully and not be in agony anymore." He gripped the fabric of his long sleeve greenish-grey shirt as he opened his eyes, looking down on the ground. "But he didn't allow me to die, he needed me as one of his tools to gain the infinite power he so desires. He tampered with my memories, it hurt worse when you try to fight it, but the image of him is all to clear for me to sleep peacefully anymore."

Nick saw the way this man trembled at the thought of his tormentor, what he went through under the power of another left him even more fearful for his planet. Loki let out a shaking breath as he shook his head, trying to dispel the awful memories, "His name is Thanos. I don't know where he came from, all I can tell you is that he has massacred many planets to come into power." he said, looking the Director in the eye, "He is a monster your people should fear the most, he dances with Death for the sickening joy of it. He's gained himself a ruthless reputation, even earned himself the title, the Mad Titan." Loki finished his description of the monstrous war lord.

If Nick felt fear, he didn't visibly show it, just stared at Loki's fearful expression as the latter described the monster who tried to control him. "What did he want the Tesseract for, why send you to concur a planet?" Nick asked as Loki sighed, "If I have to guess, his own twisted pleasure." he shook his head, "He wants to use that Cube as a weapon...or part of a weapon." he had a contemplative expression.

Nick's eye widened, "' _Part_ of a weapon?'" Loki nodded, though with uncertainty, "I'm not sure. As I've stated before, he tried to temper with my memories." He massaged his temple, "It's all fuzzy, I don't know if I _did_ hear it correctly. But if it _is_ true, then I'm afraid the Tesseract is not the only alien artifact he's seeking. The Cube is indeed powerful, but if there are more like it in the galaxy and he's seeking them, then I fear this planet, and many others, will be in even more trouble than I originally thought." Loki said, his mind going over the fuzzy memories of his imprisonment by the Mad Titan.

Nick glared into space at the thought of this Thanos threatening his world, "If so, then you _have_ to join us, we need more muscle if this crazy bastard _does_ come here." he said, trying once again to get Loki to become part of the Avengers.

"I'm not a fighter anymore, I renounced those ways the moment I became a Father." Loki said, feeling angry at the man who wanted to drag him to that fight. "You can call me a coward if you want, but I have no wish to participate in anymore battles Director, I've had enough of that. I won't make much of a difference." his voice was hoarse as he spoke, "My place is here with my child, and I want to spend every moment I have left with her without being called into war." he shook his head, eyes glistening with emotion, "I don't have time for that."

Nick knew when he was pushing too far, this man's devotion to his daughter was admirable, inspiring even if he was willing to renounce his ways just to raise her. Letting out a sigh, he asked Loki, "Is there nothing I can say to convince you otherwise?"

"I have given my word that I will stay out of trouble. You must honor your word as well, Director Fury, fore time is too short for me in the hours I spend with my child." Loki said as he shook his head, "There are many heroes out there who are willing to die for this world. I am not one of them. I am not a hero, neither am I a villain. I'm just a Father who is an outcast among his people. My existence will hardly make a difference for this planet." he said, feeling inferior and unimportant in the face of everything around him.

"You're a hero to your kid though." Nick said, bringing a smile to Loki's face, "She's still a child, her views on heroism will change as she grows older, her eyes will shift to many other heroes for her to idolize. Personally, I find Captain Rogers to be the perfect role model for her. Honor, integrity with a dash of humbleness." he added with light humor as Nick breathed out a small laugh. "So that's a 'no' then." Nick said as Loki nodded.

Nick let out a sigh, "Guess I have no choice but to accept it seeing how you just gave me the information my people need to prepare ourselves this war the Mad Titan will no doubt bring." he said, incensed by the fact that he lost a potential candidate for the Avengers, but was satisfied with this piece of knowledge that will benefit his organization.

Loki nodded his head, "As you should, fore the chess board is already set up, it is only a matter of when the game really begins. Just don't sacrifice your pawns so needlessly." he said, warning him not to get his brother killed.

"Do I really look like the type of man who would do something like that? Wait, don't answer that." Nick said as Loki chuckled before walking back to the house with the former following him. "I suppose this concludes our meeting?" Loki asked, not turning to the Director. "It does, what you have given me is more than enough, and I thank you for your cooperation." Nick said as they approached the front door with the Trickster opening it to see the agent and his daughter enjoying themselves.

"...you certainly have a wide vocabulary kiddo." Phil said, praising Lucy on their game.

"I read a lot of books." Lucy said, "I am at a critical age, so it important for my mind to develop and expand in order to take in and process knowledge presented to me so I can make informative decisions in life." she said in a serious tone that made all of them smile, even Nick no matter how hard he tried to push it down. The way she spoke like a mature adult was just so cute that it made Loki chuckle, bringing their attention to him and Nick.

"Agent Coulson, our business is done here." Nick said, composing himself to maintain his reputation before turning to Loki to shake his hand, "Thank you for your time Loki." Loki shook his hand, "You too Director." he said before releasing his hand as Phil stood up from the ground, groaning at the aches he felt from the position as he walked over to Nick. Turning to Loki he said, "It was nice to finally meet you Loki, this was quite fun."

Glancing at Lucy, he gave her a thumbs up, "Stay smart."

Lucy returned the gesture, "Stay alive." Phil chuckled as he followed Nick out of the door with Loki closing the door behind them.

The two agents sat in the car, the Director watching the house for a long moment. "You're not really gonna leave him in peace, are you?" Phil asked, catching that look in his superior's eyes.

"Never planned on it in the first place. We need him on our side." Nick said as he started up the engine and drove away from the house. "Did you plant the bug?" Nick asked, not taking his eyes off the rode.

"Right under the coffee table sir." Phil said, feeling somewhat guilty for deceiving the little girl like that.

"Good. I want to keep an eye on them. When the opportunity arises, we'll bring him into the fold." Nick said, his decision to have Loki as part of the team enforced by the knowledge of the Mad Titan lurking in the galaxy.

Blood red eyes watched the black vehicle drive away from the house, their teeth gleaming in the moonlight as they snarled at the two occupants inside the isolated home. They were supposed to do their job tonight, but this S.H.I.E.L.D. organization has put a lag into their plans. They can't risk the knowledge of their existence being known by this technologically advanced group that will no doubt hunt them down. Not wanting to take any chances just yet, they left the area to wait out the next opportunity to snatch their prize.


	4. Surprise Visit

Loki was in the kitchen washing the last of the dishes after breakfast while Lucy sat in the living room reading a science book that was more advanced for regular humans. But for a little girl with her intellect, she was able to understand each word that was printed on each page. Once all the dishes were in the dry rack, the God of Mischief dried his hands with a towel before pulling his long sleeves down to his wrist, covering the scars he can never explain.

"Lucy, ready to go on that walk?" he asked as he entered the living room, smiling as she looked up at her Papa before bookmarking the page she was on and hopped off the couch to get her jacket from her room. Loki laughed at the little ball of energy that was Lucy before putting on his hiking shoes and jacket as he waited for little feet to return to him.

"Papa." Loki turned to see Lucy in her shoes and warm black wool coat, except she seems to be struggling to breath with the two top buttons pressing together against her throat. Loki took the dark green scarf off the coat rack and knelt before her, his nimble fingers unlatching the top buttons of her coat, giving her a chance to breath before he gently and loosely wrapped the green scarf around her neck to keep her warm.

"There you go." Loki said, creating a loose knot on the front as Lucy looked down with a frown on her face, "I got bigger again."

Loki laughed through his nose as he ran an affectionate hand through her dark hair, "Then we'll just have to buy you a new jacket, won't we?" she nodded, though her face didn't hold excitement at the prospect of needing new clothes... again.

"Well," Loki stood up from his kneeling position and offered his hand to her like a gentlemen, "shall we be off Milady?" he said, giving her a bow that made Lucy smile at the gesture as she took his hand before he led her to the door for their daily walk around the trail that humans rarely venture on. The moment he opened the door, he stepped back in surprise when Tony fell forward, his hand raised to knock on the door, barely catching himself as he stumbled into the house.

"Stark?" Loki exclaimed, holding Lucy close to him as he watched Tony brush himself off to look more dignified.

"Yeah, me and two others." Tony said, gesturing to Thor and Steve who shook his head at how Tony literally tripped into Loki's home.

"Sorry to intrude, but we couldn't leave Tony alone when he decided to come here." Steve apologized as he entered with Thor following close behind him with cases of beers in his hands. "Hello brother, hi Lucy." he greeted, cooing at his niece who waved at him, delighted to see him again.

"Not to seem rude, but what are you doing here?" Loki asked, not expecting to see the Avengers so soon, not three days after Nick's visit.

"We wanted to hang out with you." Tony said with a shrug as Stevie shook his head at his comrade.

"And we brought drinks." Thor announced, holding up the beverages with a big smile on his face.

"You couldn't have called in advance?" Loki asked, resisting the urge to face palm himself in front of Lucy.

"We could have, but then you wouldn't have stuck around for us." Tony answered with a shit-eating smirk.

"Hm, true." Loki said, nodding his head, "Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you gentlemen, but me and Lucy were just about to go on our walk. So, I'm afraid you'll have to help yourself to your own drinks. Excuse us." he said as Lucy took his hand and left through the door, leaving the three Avengers in the house.

"Wait Loki! I'm going with you!" Thor exclaimed, handing the beer bottles to Tony who took it in surprise before the God of Thunder bounded out of the house to follow his younger brother.

"I'll just stay here, I'm not the outdoorsy type." Tony said as he brought the beer into the kitchen. Steve rolled his eyes at his teammate and friend, "You can drink after, let's go." he said, grabbing a hold of the billionaire's jacket and dragging him out the door to follow the Asgardians.

"Your Director and Agent Coulson came by to my house three days ago to talk." Loki mentioned as Thor walked beside him with Lucy between them, her tiny hands holding their larger ones. Tony and Steve watched from behind them, smiling at the cute sight of the brothers and little girl walking together.

"How did that go?" Tony asked as the five of them started going up hill.

"It was oddly pleasant, we played Scrabble together." Loki answered, glancing behind him to see Tony snicker at the very image of their one-eyed superior playing a board game with the God of Mischief.

"Scrabble? I pegged him for a chess player." Tony voiced his thoughts to his fellow team mates plus Loki and child.

"Agent Coulson is a chess player." Lucy said as Loki and Thor lifted her off the ground over a big rock. "He told me while Papa and Director Fury talked outside. He even offered to teach me." she added, glancing up at Loki who smiled down at his little girl.

"Really, and what did Fury and Loki talk about?" Steve asked, directing his question at Loki whose smile faltered slightly, but answered nonetheless, "He wanted to know about the person who commissioned me to find the Cube and bring to them. Thankfully, I didn't. Too much trouble for me."

"Otherwise, the world goes 'boom'?" Lucy asked with innocent curiosity as Loki breathed out a quiet laugh, "That's right Snow Angel, a very destructive 'boom'."

"The way you two say it is just unnerving. No offence." Tony commented as Loki shrugged, "None taken. Director Fury doesn't tell you everything I assume."

Tony shook his head, "Nope. His secrets have secrets. He's been trying to find more heroes to join the Initiative. Which _I assume_ is because of the big bad man that sent you to take the Cube." he stated as he fell into step beside Loki while Steve was beside Thor.

"'Big bad man' is putting it lightly Stark." Loki said with a discomforted expression, "Mad, ruthless, immoral, blood thirsty..." he sighed, "...the list goes on." He felt Lucy squeeze his hand, making him look down to see her giving him a comforting smile.

"Does he frighten you that much?" Thor asked when he caught the exchange between the two.

"You have to be a bloody fool not to be." Loki stated as he locked his green eyes with his brother's blue ones. "If you and your friends are about to make a heroic speech on why I should join the Avengers. Please save your breath." he glanced at each of them with a warning look.

"It's like you can read our minds. Or you're psychic." Tony said with wide eyes.

"No, you're just easy to read." Loki explained then turned to his brother. "By the way, how are you and Jane doing? Have you talked to her yet?"

Thor laughed nervously, "Well..."

"She kicked you in the nuts, didn't she?" Lucy bluntly asked her Uncle with a mischievous grin. Tony almost keeled over when he heard that while Steve and Loki struggled to maintain their composure out of respect for the Thunder God.

"Slapped me actually. It still smarts." Thor rubbed the side of his face at the memory of that reunion with his love.

Loki chuckled in good humor. "I like her. If she can do that to the God of Thunder, then that's definitely the woman for you. A woman like that only comes once in a life time." he advised Thor who smiled back at him. "You really think so?"

"Papa's an excellent judge of character, he's never wrong." Lucy stated, squeezing her Uncle's large hand. "And it is also important to communicate with each other in order to stay emotionally connected, especially if you have a job that physically distances you. You'll need to balance your responsibilities and your relationship. Otherwise, it goes kaput." Lucy finished with a shrug then added, "I read books."

Thor's eyes widened along with Tony and Steve while Loki smiled humorously at their reaction to his little girl's wisdom. The way she spoke was just so cute and endearing, especially with how she uses big words.

"Are you sure you're four?" Tony couldn't help but ask, not noticing how Loki tensed up at that question as he tightened his hold on Lucy's hand for a second.

"Hm, I guess so." Lucy shrugged, the lie came out easy as she squeezed Loki's hand back in reassurance. Only the two of them know her real age.

"Okay." Tony shrugged in response as they continued the rest of the walk having random yet meaningful conversations even after they returned to Loki's house where they ended up playing the game of LIFE. It wasn't until Lucy began to doze off for her nap that they decided to call it a day.

"Hey, Loki, thanks for having us. We should do this again sometime, maybe have a barbecue out here." Tony said as he put on his jacket.

"I have no complaint about that. Just call me in advance before you make a surprise visit." Loki advised as he put away the board game.

"We apologize for that. It won't happen again. Unless there's an emergency." Steve added, giving Tony a pointed look.

"What'd I do?" Tony asked as he was pushed out the door by the soldier.

Loki smiled as he shook his head at them then turned to Thor who sat on the couch with Lucy's head in his lap. The sight of his older brother gently rubbing his hand over the slumbering child's back made the trickster smile. "You shouldn't keep your team waiting brother." he calmly stated before the Thunder God carefully got up and gently settled his nieces head on a nearby pillow.

Thor stared at his niece with fondness then turned to his brother. "She reminds me of you whenever you fell asleep in the library. So cute." he smiled as he remembered how small Loki was during childhood and how he would often take naps after hours of studying.

Loki winced in embarrassment, "Don't remind me."

Thor chuckled as he laid a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Hey, you're doing a great job with her. She's smart, witty, and a real sweetheart. I'm a little envious right now." he said as he imagined children of his own in the future.

Loki smiled, "Play your cards right with Jane and you're well on your way to Fatherhood. Lucy will be practice for you so you don't mess up on the first kid."

"How do you flatter and offend me at the same time?" Thor asked with an incredulous look as Loki escorted him to the door.

"Years of practice." Loki quipped before Thor's eyes turned sad. "What's wrong?"

His older brother turned to him with a guilty look on his face. "I told Father about Lucy." Thor confessed causing Loki's face to fall.

"Wha-?" Loki almost shouted, but caught himself in time so as not to startle Lucy from sleep. He calmed himself down then asked quietly, "How mad was the Allfather?"

"Not as mad as I expected when I told him." Thor laughed through his nose, "He was happy, he even cried when he saw you and Lucy smiling in the picture. Yes, I stole a picture from you." he added when he saw Loki's eyes widen. "Father won't force you to come home unless you're ready. Just know that he regrets never telling you the truth from the beginning, and hopes to earn your forgiveness someday."

Loki swallowed the lump in his throat at the memories of the pain he felt all those years resurfaced. "I want to forgive him. I just need more time." he whispered as he thought about his adoptive Father who wanted to unite their realms in brotherhood.

Thor nodded, "I know. And he's happy for you, and for what you've done for Lucy. He's proud of you for raising his first Grandchild."

Loki smiled slightly, "He really considers Lucy his Grandchild despite the lack of blood they share?"

Thor smiled, "He does. You should let him meet her someday. It would make him very happy."

Loki breathed out a laugh the asked, "What about the Allmother? How is she?" He never realized until now how much he missed his Mother, the woman who loved him as her own.

"Exactly how you would expect when she found out about having a Granddaughter." Thor stated with a smile, "She's beyond thrilled. Probably fixing up a room for Lucy when she comes to Asgard."

Loki shook his head and smiled, "I have no doubt that she would love Lucy, and Lucy will love her just as much." he said, already imagining all the feminine things they will do together.

Thor was silent for a moment before opening his mouth again, "Mother also wanted me to pass along a message to you. 'We all miss you.'"

In his mind's eye, he could see Frigga saying those exact words in her ever soft and gentle Motherly voice whenever she spoke to her sons and everyone around them. How he missed her warm loving embrace. "Thank you for telling me." Loki said, happy that Odin and Frigga accept Lucy as their Grandchild.

Thor patted him on the shoulder. "Come home when you're ready little brother."

Loki returned the gesture, "I'll try."

"I'll come visit you again soon, I promise." Thor said as he removed his hand from Loki's shoulder and made his way out the front door with Loki closing it behind him.

Loki leaned against the door as he let out a shuddering breath. Looking back at the couch where his precious girl slept, he couldn't help but smile sadly as he thought of Odin and Frigga. Thor is never a liar, he could never make up such things, especially when it came to their family. But that made things even harder for him in regards to the painful truth about who and what Lucy really is. He held his arm, directly where the crescent shaped scars and needle marks decorated his skin in order to draw out the blood.

 _'I'm sorry brother, but if you knew the truth, would you still love her like your own?'_ was what flitted through Loki's mind as horrific memories of that night flashed before his eyes. The blood, her screams, baby Lucy's cries and eyes sliding shut forever.

 _ **'Promise me.'**_ her voice echoed in his head, her last words a permanent reminder of what he has sworn to do, protect Lucy no matter what.

 _'That's right. I have a promise to keep. Even if it means breaking Mother and Father's hearts.'_ Loki thought to himself as he walked over to his little girl and laid a blanket over her. _'This is my redemption Thor. I'm no longer a Prince. I need to be her Father...even if she's not mine.'_ His eyes held regret as he thought sadly to himself, _'Odin, I finally understand how you felt when you brought me into your home. From one Father to another, I forgive you.'_

* * *

 _ **More questions from you readers who have a thousand theories about Lucy's true origins. I'm happy for all who have followed and reviewed this story. It means a lot. Until next time. Thank you.**_


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